


Methylene Blue

by albafee



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Cheesy, Complete, First Kiss, Fluff, Ghost Stories, Laboratories, M/M, One Shot, Power Outage, Rumors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:40:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28742652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/albafee/pseuds/albafee
Summary: Naruto's failing his lab course, Sasuke is the top student, and their relationship limbo is going to break one way or another. What better place for a first kiss than a maybe-haunted laboratory?My part of a fic exchange with @freakontour. Thank you so much for doing the exchange with me, this was so fun to write! Hope you like it <3COMPLETE, One-Shot
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 10
Kudos: 60





	Methylene Blue

Professor Orochimaru’s lab was perhaps the least fun place on the entire campus. It was in the basement with no windows to speak of, lit only by depressing fluorescent lights. There were shelves here and there with jars of preserved specimens. No one really knew what they were for, but most suspected it was just to scare the students. There were rumors the place was haunted, even. People reported hearing and seeing things that weren’t really there and getting disoriented trying to cross the room. It scared Naruto to death. The only thing that scared him worse, in fact, was the idea of facing Jiraiya and Tsunade’s wrath if he failed Professor Orochimaru’s class.

“Professor, I’m begging you,” Naruto pleaded. “There must be something I can do. A project. Extra credit.  _ Anything _ ! It’s not my fault I’m no good at science!” 

The Professor studied Naruto, gaze sharp as his eyeliner, and he sighed. 

“Sasuke-kun,” he called, stopping him in his tracks as he headed toward the door to leave.

“Yes, Professor.”

“Naruto-kun will be your lab assistant for the rest of the semester. Treat him nicely.” Sasuke grimaced, beckoning for Naruto to come.

“Let’s get you a key, dobe.”

In theory, being there with Sasuke instead of by himself was a lot better. Sasuke wasn’t superstitious or afraid of the paranormal.

“There is no such thing as ghosts,” he insisted in the elevator, looking increasingly annoyed. “The lab isn’t haunted. It’s just rumors and your own imagination.” That almost put Naruto at ease.

Almost.

All that fear and apprehension came crashing back down on him like a tidal wave the second he stepped foot in the lab.  _ That shiver is just ‘cause it’s cold,  _ he thought as he donned a white lab coat, gloves, and goggles.  _ Sasuke said there’s no ghosts, so there’s definitely no ghosts.  _ He forced himself to take deep breaths, following Sasuke to a lab table.

“Sit there and don’t touch anything,” he instructed, reaching into cabinets and drawers for the materials they’d need. Naruto pouted.

“I’m not a child.”

“No, you’re just the clumsiest person alive.” His expression deepened. “Don’t pout. You know it’s true,” Sasuke admonished without even looking. Naruto groaned.

“This is stupid. It’s not my fault I’m being forced to take a science class even though I’m shit at science.”

“You’re not shit at science, you’re just coming at it wrong.”

“Wrong how?”   
“Science isn’t all about numbers and solutions. It’s not all structure. What it’s really about is natural curiosity and learning more about the world around you.”

Naruto lifted his head, blinking.  _ How can he say something so profound without even batting an eye? Without even really thinking about it? _ He sighed, pillowing his arms beneath his head.

“You’re so smart, Sasuke.” He hummed noncommittally, tapping a vial.

“You’re smart, too. Just in different ways.” Naruto smiled, closing his eyes. He was tired, and Sasuke’s company made him feel safe enough to let his guard down even somewhere scary.

“You always know how to make me feel better.”

“Hn. Set up that microscope for me?”

They worked together for two hours. Naruto mostly just handed Sasuke items as he requested them. He occasionally asked questions about Sasuke’s research, which he still didn’t fully understand. In that time, nothing weird happened. At least, nothing outside the usual. Naruto and Sasuke were in a weird limbo at the moment: more than friends, but not yet boyfriends. Both of them wanted a move to be made, but neither of them were quite ready to make it yet. They blushed when their hands brushed, and Naruto stuttered sometimes when Sasuke said something that could be interpreted as an innuendo, and Sasuke often coyly looked away when Naruto was being too cheeky.  _ I need to do something. Say something…  _

“Naruto,” Sasuke called, stretching. He perked up. “Do you wanna see your own cells?”

His eyes widened.

“You can do that?” Sasuke smirked.

“Yeah. C’mere.”

Naruto scooted his seat over, getting within arm’s length as Sasuke prepared a blank slide. 

“Closer.” Naruto swallowed, moving his stool so close their knees bumped into each other. Sasuke held up a long q-tip. “Open your mouth.” Naruto reddened.   
“What?!” he screeched, backing away. Sasuke rolled his eyes. 

“Relax. I’m just gonna swab your cheek for cells.” Naruto swallowed again.

“Uh… o-okay.”

He opened his mouth a little. Sasuke tsked, pressing one finger to the hinge of his jaw and another to his chin, forcing him open wider. Sasuke leaned in and scraped the q-tip along the inside of Naruto’s cheek. He held his breath, worried it might stink and not wanting Sasuke to get skeeved out. He didn’t seem bothered, just leaned back and turned toward the slide, rubbing the swab over the middle of it a few times. Sasuke handed him a little squeeze bottle full of blue liquid.

“What’s this?”   
“Methylene blue. It’s a dye that helps you see the cells better.” He gestured to the slide. “Put one drop in the middle, right where I rolled the swab.” Naruto nodded, carefully plopping just one fat drop of dye onto the slide. “Good job.”

Naruto bit his lip to suppress a goofy smile, pride swelling in his chest even with such small praise.  _ He’s really become so much nicer as we’ve gotten older. Nicer, calmer, cuter…  _

Sasuke placed the slide under the microscope, tapping Naruto’s wrist to get his attention. Naruto leaned down into it. Cells were clearly visible under the microscope.

“Those are  _ mine _ ?” he asked, amazed. He could feel Sasuke smile, hovering over his shoulder.

“Sure are.” 

“Wow,” he breathed. 

“See the dark spots in the middle of each cell?”

“Yeah?”   
“That’s the nucleus.”   
“ _ That’s _ the nucleus? It’s so small! How’s it hold all that stuff?!”

Sasuke chuckled a bit.

“I’ll explain later.” They share a pause, comfortable silence. "Aren't they pretty?" Sasuke asked. Naruto nodded. "The dye makes them such a nice blue color. Reminds me of your eyes."

Naruto lifted his face from the microscope, blinking at Sasuke. _He just hit on me. Now's the time._ He looked so cute like this, in his lab coat and goggles, looking professional but snarky. Naruto licked his lips. Sasuke tilted his head. They were so close they could feel each other’s breath on their cheeks.  _ This is it. I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna kiss him- _

Their lips touched, sparks flew, and at that very same moment the lights went out, plunging them into darkness. They froze, rigid and breathless.

“Sasuke?”

“... Goddamn it.”


End file.
